MY WITCH 03: Cornelia's Trouble
by NotQuiteNormOld
Summary: Part 3 of MY WITCH series. Quite a bit of CxC, a little suggestive WxC, slightly Corni-centric 'episode' but this over-all is a WxC, Will-centric series
1. Gaea means Mother Earth

This is mostly greek or Spanish, but I figured that if Metamoor inherited English, then why not a few more languages. I am adding a back story as to why they speak these too btw.

_**Gaea**_ (pronounced "Jee-uh")- greek godess of the Earth; Mother Earth.

_**atraer a **_-appeal to

_**be'nallI**_ - your wife

_**escoria**_ - scum

**_prostituta _**- (it basically means) slut {Poor Cornelia! Heh heh heh..}

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><p><strong>"Nothing gives a person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances." -Thomas Jefferson<strong>

Cornelia was drowning. In a canal for pete's sake! Couldn't it have been drowning in something a little more threataning! _'At least,' _the blonde thought, _'Irma isn't watching this. Well, she'd be able to help. No. She'd just laugh.' _It was funny, the things that run through your head as you're dying are meant to be from your memories, but Cornelia was losing the ability to think. _'I.. can't.. swim..'_

_..._

He'd lost it. Somewhere between nearly being drowned, and watching the portal vanish behind her, Caleb had gone insane. And now he was talking to himself, "Why the hell did you tell her you'd meet her!"

_Because she controls you. _The words echoed eerily in the back of Caleb's mind. Taunting him. '_But how could she do that? I am free. I am the only one who controls me.'_ Caleb brought his hands up to his face and gently slapped both cheeks simultaneously. "I don't even like her. She's insubordinate. Disorderly. Immature." Caleb audibly growled at the thought of the short red head. She was loud; her hair even louder. He was not pleased by the foolish way he reacted to her uninformed distress for his wellbeing. Her empathy would be the death of her on the battlefield.

"Eeek!" Caleb's senses went on high alert as he heard a scream and a loud splash. He had made it close to the Infinite City, but he was not far from the village either. He began taking long strides towards the massive river, which was the only water source nearby.

Someone was drowning.

It was a young girl.

A human.

...

"Who's that?"

"What did you do to her?"

"Ungh.." Cornelia felt numb. Where was she. She had been at school. Then Elyon.. Will.. Realisation struck her and the memories crashed back into her skull, "Metamoor!" She sat up straight-backed; her eyes widely taking in her surroundings.

"Well, safe to say she knows where she is..!" Her scared blue eyes met kind green and she relaxed a little. "Hello _**Gaea**_."

"Eh..?" Cornelia wiped her eyes fuzzily, confused by the absurdity of his greeting, as seductive as the word sounded; passing through the smooth line of his parted lips. _Was English not his native language or something?_

"You are the Earth comandant.. Aren't you?" Now _that _Cornelia understood. He had made a reference to her being the Earth Guardian.

"Uh.. Yes." She tried to stand, but slipped on nothing in particular, _her dignity perhaps, _and the young man put his arm around her waist to support her. He gently pulled her sopping fringe from her face. It was only then that she realised she was soaking. "Oh God!"

She said it in alarm at the thought of how she must look right now; head to foot in mud and water dripping from her brand new pink halterneck, but the noticably strong man seemed to think she was afraid. "It's alright. You're safe now."

"She cannot stay here!"

"She is not one of us!"

"She looks horrible!"

That's it. Who said that. She could understand her needing to leave. She could agree with not being like them. But whichever of the nasty green men had just called her ugly was going to pay! "EH! LOOK IN A MIRROR MATE! AT LEAST I HAVE THE EXCUSE OF NEARLY DROWNING!" At this the boy put his free hand between her and the creatures.

"Quiet Raydon. She was probably a little more concerned by whatever Phobos sent to leave her in the river than of if she should _**atraer a **_you. And you prefer **_be'nallI_** anyway. Or am I wrong?"

At this the boy raised his eyebrows suggestivly to the green, horned man, who backed away quickly, muttering, "_**Escoria**_."

"Watch your mouth Raydon." _What had the creature said to him? _"I require assembly with Aldarn."

"He's in your quarters. Looking for inspiration."

"Inspiration?"

"The fact is Caleb that you have been gone for days now, apparently barding off with a **_prostituta_** instead of abiding your self-proclaimed duties.

Whatever that was - and the word certainly sounded familiarly offensive - Cornelia could see from the boy that it was very much a dig at her. "Excuse me!"

The man-thing looked stunned by her understanding, "She understands! How can she speak our tongue!" Cornelia raised her eyebrows.

The boy walked toward the beastly man and pointed a finger about an inch from his chest. "You forget that you are not speaking Meridain Raydon, 'your' tongue comes infact from Escanor of Earth." _What was Escanor? A country?_

Cornelia didn't have time to ask as at that moment the young man began striding purposefully away from her and the 'Raydon', yelling out an unintelligable string of words that she guessed -from his pissed off voice- were mostly, if not all, curses.

"HEY! WAIT!"


	2. Ring ring

I have rushed to post this before dancing.. I must love you guys!

I know, I know, we all hate translating as we read, but you can probably get the general meanings from the context. So.. Do you want me to continue writing (the hopefully far fewer) future translations or not?

Shout out to Netherlands, TTigerz for (probably unknowingly) helping me with a few things for when I reach Nerissa. Thank you!

Also.. I don't know if anyone's noticed.. Nearly drowning is not Cornelia's only problem. And there will be more trouble..

* * *

><p><strong><em>"The Hale's" cannot receive your call right now: Please leave your message after the tone..<em>**

**_#BLEEP!#_**

**"Corny, babes, thanks for skipping out on us earlier, big help that was. Will is FINE by the way. When you've finally found your conscience call me."**

_**#BLEEP!#**_

**"It's Taranee; look, I know you don't like her, but you should've come anyway! We all got out okay and I hope you have enough sense to apologize to Will."**

_**#BLEEP!#**_

**"Look, C. I know you were just mad when you said that stuff, and Irma wont stop complaining about how you won't pick up. Please answer! PLEEEAAASSSEE!"**

**#_BLEEP!#_**

**"CORNELIA! First you leave me in history, and now you wont even answer the phone! Not cool. Ever since Will turned up everything's changed. She's ruined everything. Call me back.. If you remember who I am."**

**#_BLEEP!#_**

**"Cornelia, Hay Lin gave me your number after she'd tried, can we please talk? ****I don't know why you've been acting so strange around me, but it's not right. We should at least try to be friends, don't you think?"**

Will sighed as she listened to the loud silence emitting from the phone speaker. Cornelia wasn't answering. _And why would she? It was about 11pm and Cornelia didn't even like her as it was!_

"Will?"

That voice was not Cornelia's. Will frowned.

"Will? Are you there?"

The voice was of an older woman and seemed tired. "Uh, yeah, but you're not Cornelia?"

"It's Mrs Hale." _Oops._ "Look, Elyon told me that Cornelia went looking for you after school, and she hasn't come home yet."

_Looking for you. Oh no._

"Mrs Hale." Will took a large gulp of air, unsure of what to say.

"I'm so worried, and Elyon was the one who brought her bag over and-"

"I'm sure that she's fine Mrs Hale." Will had spoken over it, but she didn't miss it. Rattling down the phone wires and echoing into her ear. A sob

"Have you heard from Alchemy yet?" Will said the words slowly, taking them in herself as she said them.

Silence. Will prayed that that was a good thing.

"I-I'll call her now."

"Look Mrs Hale, why don't I call her. If they're at a party - not saying Cornelia _would _sneak out of course - I'm more likely to get a straight answer. I'll call you as soon as I know anything." Will didn't even listen to the response as she was in too much of a frenzy.

_**#RING RING#**_

"Elyon speaking." Will tapped her foot impatiently at the sound of a yawn which emitted from the girl. This was no time to be sleeping.

"Where did she go! When did she leave!"

"..Will..?" _Oh God, wake up Elyon!_

"Cornelia. Where is Cornelia?"

"I dunno.. She left in history to see you." _History, history.. That was 5th.. 30 minutes before they got home.. 30 minutes before.._

"I closed the portal.." Will's mouth hung open as she stood in a daze.

"Huh? You closed what?"

"NOTHING!" Will cut off the line of bad language the young girl was using to tell off the red head for shouting at this time of night.

She then paced in a circle, stopping and looking in her reflection on the glass of the dark window; her eyes wide with panic.

**"I CLOSED THE PORTAL!"**


	3. Private discussion

I know, I know. The last chapter was rubbish. Nothing much happened. But I was sorta stuck, being in a huge rush as I needed to catch the bus 10mins from when I started.

This is where I'm trying to encorperate the same feel as my Thin Line Between Love and Hate. It was also based on this reality I've created in my mind after all..

Plus WARNING:CxC Alert.. And meh, it's not very good because I don't believe in their relationship. That's all I can say.

* * *

><p><strong>To feel compelled, yet deny any significance.<strong>

**That is not ignorance of the truth..**

**But fear of it.**

"I never got to Earth." Aldarn jumped as Caleb's words filled the room, dropping the map of the castle he had been examining. He was about to scold his friend for scaring him, but his brow furrowed instead and he turned to the boy.

Cornelia had not caught up with the young man, before he had gone into an enclosed room, which appeared to come far and few in this wide open space. _What was this place?_

"You've been gone for three days! What happened!"

"Aldarn, I was caught by Cedric at the portal. I'd have made it if it weren't for the guardians on the otherside;" Hearing the familiar male voice mention her friends, Cornelia leant her ear against the door. "Their leader was struck still from fear."

"Their leader? The Keeper? I thought that she was-"

"They have not been aquainted with their powers long. They are new guardians: not the ones of legend."

"I see."

"I was left in the Oubliette for some hours, before joined by the leader. They performed a barely successful rescue, not that I'm surprised."

"What!" The voice sounded more humored than anything else, Cornelia pressed herself further into the wood of the door as she became more intregued by the conversation.

"Little brat was just a silly girl. She gets caught and imprisoned, _forgetting _to bring the crystal, and has the nerve to insult me moments into confrontation. She called me a child!"

"That is a step up from being the counterpart reflection of Ph-" Cornelia didn't get to hear the rest as the boy had, with anger across his face, swung open the door to leave.

"Gaea." The boy stated with an almost unsurprised tone in his voice, "You shouldn't have been listening in."

"I, uh.." Cornelia stammered and blushed, looking from the boy to a curious young face. She studied the alien-green skin and crators of rock on his face. She finally looked back into the green eyes of her earlier savior, defeated without excuse. "Sorry."

"Gaea? The guardians are here?" At this, Cornelia looked up stunned and hopeful, but the young human-man shook his head and sighed, looking to the 'Aldarn' boy.

"We parted at the portal, and they closed it behind them." Suddenly his eyes were back on her, penetrating her soul, "Why would they have left you?"

Cornelia's eyes widened uneasily. She had really hoped to avoid this.. "Uh.. They sorta didn't know I'd even came through.. 'cause I had basically told them to shove it, but then I worried, y'know, just about the girls, not Will, I mean, like I care, right?" She blushed as she realized that she could've just said the first sentence and left it.

She squirmed a little under the oblivious look they were giving her, and then ended up looking almost the same when the green man asked her plainly, "You told them to shove what?"

She sighed and hid her face beneath her hands. "Oh, I don't know, it's a saying, it just means.. Look, they don't know I'm here, that's the important thing, okay?"

"Gaea; I understand. I'm going to the Mage. Perhaps she will help us get you back to Earth." At this the boy gave her a look that made her heart melt, looking deep into her eyes, a slight, reassuring smile playing on his lips. She didn't care where he was from or what he called her; she was his.


	4. A little help from the Oracle

Okay, I'm making this seem a little too easy I know, but it's all about Corny meeting and 'bonding' with Caleb anyway. Plus they don't actually have the map of the portals either, so neither world knows where or when a portal opens, unless, I dont know.. They talk to someone with the ability to see the future, ect.. A mage perhaps.. ;)

Also, _**Bold and italics**_ is indicating telecommunication.

* * *

><p><strong>Help.<strong>

**Something we need.**

**Something we give.**

**Something that is only too often underestimated.**

_**You are going to help them?**_ Luba's eyebrows were raised higher than looked natural. _**Can they not wait for another portal? The veil is weak enough without us tearing it manually.**_

**_She cannot, Luba, stay in Meridian until another portal opens. Or would you like to see her in the hands of our Rebel Leader Caleb?_**

**_I see your point; he may impair her._** Luba nodded with understanding, though her assumptions were incorrect.

The Oracle opened his eyes when the cat-faced woman said this. _**That is your point, not mine. I do not see the corruption of Phobos in this image. The murmur boy has, after-all countered his founder's veiws. He has compassion.**_

**_You, yourself admit that you cannot enter his mind due to it's protection of Phobos' magic. He may be abusing the rebellion's vulnrebility in a scheme to over-rule his creator._**

_**You share the veiws of the rebellion then. If that is so, they are wary. **_The Oracle did not listen though, to her next thoughts, as the image of Sheffield Institute's basement appeared before him. He touched the cloudy image and reality rippled, but there was no other change. _**We cannot leave her in the Metaworld. I**** have opened the tear where it has once been, so that it will be more easily found, though it may take some time to form.**_

* * *

><p>Quite a lot of time actually.. But it'll promote confusion as the mage'll still sense it.<p> 


	5. Overwhelming panic

I apologise in advance for the shortness of this chapter, but I do make sure I post a few at once to make up for it.

* * *

><p><strong>Fear cannot be banished..<strong>

**But it can be calm and without panic;**

**It can be mitigated by reason and evaluation.**

"Oh my God, Oh my God!" Three girls watched silently as their leader strode from one side of the room to another. "I can't believe we; can't believe _I_.. I.. Oh my God!"

"Look, Will, maybe we should tell Yan Lin or something!" Taranee's reassuring smile faltered as she saw the pure, condensed panic on Will's face in response to her suggestion, "Or not.."

"I can't tell her! I'll be revoked of my position, and that's just for starters! Who knows what punishment I'll recieve for this! Oh my God, they could send me to some eternal prison. Worse! They could send me back to the castle with Caleb!" At this Taranee snorted, Irma smiled in slight confusion and Hay Lin simply stood up beside her.

"He didn't seem all that bad," Hay Lin tried to divert the conversation, if only until the red-head stopped hyperventilating.

"You didn't spend hours with him; complaining about this and moaning about that! And the ego on that boy!"

"Sounds like Cornelia." Irma muttered, gaining a nervous cackle from Will, before she took in what she'd said and looked awkwardly at her shoes.

"Hey!" Hay Lin smiled at Will, putting an arm around her comfortingly, "Maybe he found her!"

"Doubt it. What are the chances of that?" Will rolled her eyes, but sunk into Hay Lin's hug.

"Maybe she's found someone to help her!"

"Maybe.. We have to find a way to get her."

"Come on, we should go to my Grandma. She won't 'punish' you. I promise." At this, Will nodded slowly. She strode out of the room purposefully, the girls trailing behind.


	6. To find what you seek

Again, palvita is their idea of a God, and note that Corny is far more into Caleb, than he is her. A slightest whim of WxC in his thoughts, just to remind us what this is really about, but then again, it's only WxC here if you read into it that way.. ;)**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Knowledge is power.<strong>

**And power is something those born without it thrive on having.**

**Thus we all do.**

**We all crave power.**

**We all crave knowledge.**

Cornelia anxiously waited with Aldarn, just outside the room which contained the rebel leader. Caleb. His name was strong. Noble. It suited his masculine physique perfectly. It probably meant something wonderful too, like bravery or courage. She could not help her eyes from wandering to the stairway, but for roughly the fifth time already she was interrupted by a less than subtle cough; Aldarn's way of telling her 'no'. Aldarn had gotten her a blanket, and she was now completely dry, yet she still shivered as breeze easily flowed through the wide open spaces of this green 'city'.

...

Caleb knelt before a great waterfall. He did not look up, just as with Phobos, but this time out of respect for the elderly Mage. It was said that she was from before, even, the time of the Tyrant's overtaking, though her past was unclear. Many had originally been wary of the woman when she had first approached with her visions and all-knowing. But who was Caleb to judge? She was certainly better than him, if only for her natural humanity. On pointing this out, the rebellion had steadily agree'd with him, deciding that she could be of use against their prince after all.

**_To find what you seek, you must return to whence it was most recently hidden._**

Caleb nodded, staying low bent, and waited a few seconds before taking large strides out of the room. He had listened to the old woman's cryptic speech pattern long enough to understand.

"It's back in the swamps. She mustn't have closed it properly." Caleb kept walking after he reached the others. Aldarn, used to his urgent behavior, had been ready and was instantly by his side. The young guardian, however, was not. She had had to run a few feet to catch up to the pair.

"Hey, wait! What do you mean, _not closed properly_? Is there a certain way to do it?" The guardian was full of questions, and it seemed that Caleb may have more knowledge than she did on the subject.

"I don't know. But the portals are _not _meant to open themselves in the same place twice as far as I know. It has never been mentioned." At this the Earth guardian stopped short, but he kept walking anyway.

"Mentioned? I thought you said you'd recognized the guardians!" Aldarn stopped and raised a brow, presumably at her, for this was the first signs of any fight in her.

He sighed and looked ahead. He could not go without her, as that would defeat the point of returning to the portal. And he was unsure of taking her with force; he did not take kindly to the idea of being lambasted by a certain red-head in response to the man-handling of one of her guardians. Then again, surely Gaea was already due a berating for confronting the portal alone. He smiled at this; he would enjoy countering her complaints with an observation of her regulating abilities, or lack thereof.

"Illustrations show them in books." That was the truth. He had spent much time reading, and often came across mention of the guardians. But it was only half-true in sense of the implication that that was how he knew of them. He had seen them; reported them, under Phobos' reign for a certain few times. Echoing his brothers and sisters as he announced the women's whereabouts to what was only a boy at the time.

"The guardians are in a vast collection of our library." Caleb silently thanked Aldarn for not divulging any more of the original question's answer. He turned finally, to look at the young woman, who simply nodded and backed down, following him once more, out towards the village above.

She didn't say anything more. She only made a slight sound of astonishment when they had surfaced from the Infinite City and she'd discovered from Aldarn that it was built underground, stretching, as far as they knew, to no limits. This, Caleb was thankful for, because whenever she had previously spoken, much of her declarations seemed to be in some sort of coded language, only made more confusing by it's origin of the same English that Meridian spoke. He also thanked Plavita that, at least, the Leader of the guardians apparently did not also herald this tongue.


	7. I love the law

I'm trying not to drift to far in either direction with Caleb (comic or cartoon), so you may notice that he speaks with a more modern tone than he thinks. Just barely, but it's there. I'm trying to give the impression that he is purposely changing his vocabulary to suit the understanding of the Earth-folk he talks to (just our guardians so far).

I'm also aware that there are slight plot holes, but a)I'm trying to fix them, b)hopefully you can't find them anyway, and c)Disney had loop holes of their own so don't be down my throat if you do come across them! ;)

Btw, yeah, I know it's a lame-ass way of finding her, but this is possible in the comic series so I figured it'd work for this chapter..

P.S. CxC IMPLIED AND CONVERSATIONAL TOPIC

* * *

><p><strong>The solution is in the problem..<strong>

**If you can't see it..**

**Get someone else to look.**

"You aren't in trouble Will. You could not have prevented this. And Hay Lin already informed me of the events of yesterday; I'm glad that you are safe." Yan Lin smiled, handing the small girl a cup of herbal tea to calm her. "And as for a portal, you may be able to find it using the Heart."

"I can!" Will looked at the woman with relief. She had been so worked up about what harsh scolding she might receive, but Yan Lin was nothing, if not understanding. "That's brilliant! Thank God! I was so worried!"

"You'll all need to concentrate though, and it will tell you how to find Cornelia."

The girl's at this point all formed a circle, holding hands, and closed their eyes in concentration. Yan Lin watched the Heart glow and smiled slightly.

...

_"The portal should not open in the same place twice Caleb." A young being walked through thick mud alongside Cornelia as they both struggled to keep up with the rebel leader. The being had pale green skin and rocks seemed to be attached to his head._

_"That is what was predicted Aldarn, and it is our only hope to get her home safely." At this point Caleb looked over Aldarn to Cornelia, who blushed as he made eye contact. "I promise you will home, Gaea. As soon as possible."_

_..._

"Look's like they found each other!" Hay Lin squealed with delight; she had already told the others of how she thought Cornelia would take to Caleb. "Isn't that romantic!"

"Yeah, or hellish.." Irma muttered from behind her hand to Will, who snickered.

"And did you see how they looked at each other! And what he called her!" Hay Lin was practically dancing as she hugged her arms tightly around her chest dreamily.

"Yeah, what did he call her?" Will frowned. It had been a foriegn-sounding word.

Taranee raised an eyebrow, "He called her _Jee-ah._"

"Jee-ah? Are you sure he didn't just say 'Gee... Ahh..' like he was embarrassed by the way Miss Sassy-pants was staring at him!"

"Just 'cause you fancy him, Irma." Hay Lin teased playfully.

"I don't! It was A JOKE!" Irma crossed her arms in a huff, "Besides, if he's as bad as Will says he is.." she drifted off.

"Look, the point is - or was I the only one paying any attention? - the guy said the portal would be in the same place. As in _the school basement._" Will folded her arms as she concluded, leaving the obvious hanging in the air.

Hay Lin was not so implicatory. "But, it's.. Saturday..?"

Irma immediatly recovered from her mood, "All right! Breakin' into the school!" She only turned to grin sheepishly at the disapproving sound that errupted from Yan Lin's throat in the form of a fake-cough. "I mean, 'Off we go. To do legal things. Because my father is a police officer and I would never dream of resisting the wonderful laws our country has. I love the law...'." She continued babbling monotonely as Will and Hay Lin pulled her out of the restaurant by the arms; Taranee following behind, grimacing.


	8. There isn't a portal

almost time for our favourite pairing to reunite and almost time for this messy 'episode' to end. I hope you've all enjoyed my feeble attempt to fit this in, whilst not messing with the events of The Key. Which is difficult to do btw: it's not as easy as you might think to try and write between 5000 and 10,000 words of not too much happening. But I wanted Corny to have some dignity when she claims to have a bond with Caleb. At least she now has a right to think so, whereas in the cartoon she knew him only as much as the others (ex. Will, who knew him a little more).

Also, watching/reading w.i.t.c.h again, I'm pretty sure Cornelia never actually asked him a single thing about himself.. What a love they must've shared. At least in 'toon Will + he talked frequently, and in comic he taught her how to tele-transport **_while _**spending most of the day with her. **_And_** Matt had been given the impression of them having a _thang! _:L

Oh, and, well.. Spoilers, but: Just wait until Will's Birthday for Caleb to hear about Cornelia's friend 'Alchemy'... ;)

* * *

><p><strong>All progress is precarious.<strong>

**The solution of one problem..**

**Brings us face to face with another.**

"There isn't a portal." Neither Will, nor Caleb knew that in different dimensions, they seemed to say the same words in sync. The Oracle grimaced at this, making Luba worry.

_**What does it mean? **_The Oracle opened his eyes and gazed at the waters in front of him. The image of the goings-on in Heatherfield and that of Meridian were formed side by side in the Pool of Sentinel. As they should be. For it was only a single Veil of dispersion energy that lay between the two formations of three and four.

_**I cannot read either mind Luba. I can only conclude that we must consider... **_

The Oracle needn't think more of it. It was written on Luba's face and throughout her mind that she knew what he meant. _**But if he taints her further.. We will not have a chance!**_

_**Why must we assume that he is villanous? You must remember that he has already proven defective of Phobos.**_

...

"Well?" Aldarn looked expectantly at Caleb, waiting for the answer.

"It was meant to be here!" Will flung her arms in the air in a rage.

"Maybe the Mage was wrong?" Cornelia leant forward, putting a sympathetic hand on the rebel's shoulder.

"Maybe it's here, but we can't see it?" Hay Lin piped up, trying to be helpful.

"I'm not wrong. And neither was the Mage! It must be here." Caleb snapped to his companions calmly.

"Face it; Caleb and that green dude were wrong!" Irma turned to the corridor leading to the exit. "Let's just leave her until she finds her own way out! I'm sure she'll be quite horny, _ehem_, I mean happy with Caleb tending to her _needs_."

"Well, she can stay here until we find another, _visable, _portal arrives." Aldarn

Taranee straightened her glasses, looking over the frames at the brunette, "Okay, _gross,_ and we can't 'just leave her', Will already had to convince Alchemy to call and say that Cornelia had stayed with her, and she can't keep saying that Cornelia can't talk because she's asleep! How much can one person sleep!"

"What about my mom? She'll freak! I can't stay here!"

"Would you guys just be quiet for a second! I have an idea." Will pulled the Heart of Kandrakar from around her neck and held it up towards the space where she'd last seen the portal. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut and put all of her energy into the palm of her hand, "Reveal the portal!"

Reality seemed to flicker and Caleb felt a shiver up his spine. Looking to the others he saw that they, too, had felt it. His brows knitted together, his eyes widely exploring his surroundings. "What was that?"

"Well Will, you officially get the award for best suspense-leading to-disappointment." Will opened one eye and found nothing had changed. Everything was still there. Excluding the new slight impatience in Irma's humorous tone.

On two distinct dimensions, two parties turned to leave their location. Behind both parties formed either side of an electric blue swirl of light. From either party came cheers, the leaders of each party sighing in relief as they felt a weight lifting.


	9. You promised

**_**anypoforos skyla**_** - intollerable bitch (in Greek)

* * *

><p><strong>Some people think that you can live for one of the two..<strong>

**Love or knowledge.**

**But only the wisest realize one important thing..**

**A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge.**

Caleb put his hand on the blonde's shoulder. He wanted to get away from the portal as fast as possible. He shouldn't have made that promise. He needed to be on Earth, but seeking help from the guardians would only cause them suffering in the end. He needed to leave Cornelia in Earth and head back to the Infinite City. Maybe he would be able to aquire a concealment spell. Maybe he would just have to be very inconspicuous. Maybe he'd..

"Caleb. Just like you'd promised." Caleb frowned and watched the red head emerge from the portal, followed by the other guardians. At least this time she had arrived fully transformed.

He knew what was coming now, and didn't need to see Aldarn or Cornelia to know they looked confused. "Promised what?" It was the Earth guardian who spoke, whilst apparently being strangled by the smallest of them.

"If you're trying to asphyxiate her, you'd do a better job with your arms around her neck, as apposed to the shoulders." Caleb was glad that Aldarn granted an amused smirk, but Will only raised an eyebrow at him judgingly.

"Hay Lin." The air guardian, if memory served him, quickly obeyed a silent command; ending the hug and turning to the rest of the group. She then spoke to Cornelia. "He said he'd meet us." _'I said I'd meet you.' _Caleb corrected inwardly, before remembering that he had regretted that fact. "And he's going to join us on Earth."

"So you can get your wonderbra out." the innappropriate water guardian sneered, and Caleb raised his eyebrows, not quite understanding the comment, or why the blonde seemed so embarrassed while the others laughed.

Aldarn, however, had raised his eyebrows and motioned to Will with his thumb, smiling at Caleb, "Is she the _**anypoforos skyla**_?"

...

"Am I the what?" If Will's voice was hard, her face was stone as she glared at Caleb, but he only brushed her off.

"It means leader."

"Of course it does."

"Why would I lie?"

"Why would you lie?"

"I wouldn't."

"You sure about that?"

"Absolutely." Will shivered as he verbalised that last word. They had slowly become closer, literally getting in one other's face, and she now felt his breath on her face as he smirked wryly at her with mirth. She cleared her throat, that now appeared not to carry words, as she stared at him with wide eyes, feeling awkward.

"You're coming to Earth then?" Will silently thanked Hay Lin as Caleb's mossy, green gaze left her face, and he moved to look at the others.

"No."

"'No'!" Will found her voice once more, but Caleb now barely acknowledged her.

"I've changed my mind." He was really just trying to piss her off now.

She tooked a deep breath to calm her frustrations, "You gave your word."

"That I'd meet you."

"I assumed you'd be coming to Earth. That was where you were headed when we found you." _'And you wouldn't shut up about it in the dungeon.' _Will rolled her eyes as the boy averted his eyes from her once again.

"I was running. From Cedric. The snake." She really couldn't take much more of this. Was he really trying to be short with her? That was _her _specialty.

"What about Phobos' si-"

"It doesn't matter." The rebel quickly interrupted the 'green dude', _as Irma had referred to him._

Will took long strides to the young male and outstretched a hand. "Will Vandom. Guardian Leader." The young boy looked at Caleb with amusement before turning to her and taking her hand.

"Aldarn. Member of the rebellion."


	10. Escanor and Earth

Kíndynos sas kánei elkystikí - roughly 'danger makes you appealing'

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><p><strong>It only takes women's interest..<strong>

**To change a man's mind.**

"So, what kind of Metaworld language is that anyway?" Taranee was genuinly intregued by the odd words that Caleb, more often than Aldarn, seemed to use. So far it appeared that Caleb's second vocabulary mostly concluded of curses.

"It's not." Caleb had not gotten over his argument with Will. _'Or should I say arguments.' _Taranee rolled her eyes and smiled. The two collided like cats and dogs.

"We speak the languages of Escanor-"

"Of Earth, right? Is that a country I don't know about or something?" Cornelia interupted Aldarn, but he simply laughed at her question.

Caleb did not, however, see the funny side of the argument and replied bitterly, "He was a prince. From Britain. He spoke three languages, of which he taught _us_. English, being the primary language. The other words are from a varied vocabulary of Spanish and Greek."

"Well thank you Mr Wikipedia." Will rolled her eyes and the others giggled. It only made it funnier that  
>Caleb didn't understand the subtle insults she threw at him.<p>

"You're welcome, but I don't know why you're calling me by that." This stopped the girls laughing as Aldarn looked at him.

"You know, they will be on the lookout for you Caleb. You may be safer on Earth." Caleb took no restraint in showing his irritation of Aldarn at that moment. Will only smiled at the rebel leader.

...

Caleb refused to look at Will, who's brown eyes could be felt, burning into him. She wanted him on Earth. Maybe she had been bluffing with her innocent ignorance. She certainly seemed to know something. He'd have to research the guardians more closely now - he'd only ever let himself glance briefly at drawings of them when doing his heavy investigations of Meridian history. And before that they had been different. He had only heard of their innterruptions at the portals; they never came into Meridian. Women who never showed their true form. _Or had they, too, been girls?_ Their mentions became fewer. Words of corruption of the Keeper. That would be Will this time he supposed. _Was she capable of evil?_ Caleb was unsure.

His gaze wondered across each of the guardians and onto the now quite familiar blonde. She was beautiful. Well, that is, according to Aldarn. And he knew the rebels thought so too; Raydon was only jealous that he could not touch her for his wife. "Fine. Though you ought to have more control of your Earth guardian. She has the strongest power source, and yet she was nearly deceased when I found her."

"What! Cornelia?" So that was her name. Aldarn had already told him, but he had not been listening. He had also told Gaea Caleb's name, for which Caleb was not particularly thankful, as it seemed to make her feel more justified to have a constant clutch on his arm. At least Will had been only acting on impulse, and she had afterwards kept her due distance. This girl seemed to plan every intimation between them, and this he was not thankful for. He would have pushed her away. Like so many of the unhinged wives of the rebellion; who attemted to cling to him as a source of whatever they had been deprived by their husbands. The always had the same thing to say; _"Kíndynos sas kánei elkystikí"._ But he could not be so blatent with this girl as he was with the others. Because he was not responsible for her. She was Will's.

"Look, I had some trouble with the river, but it's no big deal okay.."

"You almost drowned Gaea." He could not fathom why she would try to undermine what was almost her death.

"Gaea. There it is again! What is that?" Taranee seemed to always hold the questions. She appeared to be the one most searching for knowledge and Caleb respected that. Know your enemy. Know your territory. Perhaps he could teach her to speak these languages, though it was of little use as Phobos' was not fond of Escanor's languages other than English.

"It translates to Mother Earth." Cornelia looked up at this, surprised, and perhaps a little disappointed.

Taranee, however only grew excited by the definition. "Right! Because she's Earth! I get it!"

"Or it's because she looks about as old as time."

Caleb frowned at this, should the guardians not be better aquainted with their own history. "The Earth is only four and a half billion years old. Time's age stretches to the infinite." He felt gratitude when the earth and fire guardians beamed at him. Clearly he had their attention. "I think Earth may be a suitable accomodation after all."


	11. A brief finish

Note the way I'm going to start splitting the paragraphs here - "...**Insert Location**..."

Also, I know this sucks, but I needed to finnish this, so that I can move on to The Key..

* * *

><p><strong>People cannot choose their partners..<strong>

**Just as one does not step into love..**

**They are chosen for you..**

**And you fall from there.**

Once on the other side of the portal, Will first transformed the girls into human form. Caleb looked around suspiciously. Long bars of metal lined the walls and orbs of light hung from the ceilings. "What dangers lie in this place?"

At this, Taranee smiled, already fond of the young man. "Well, there's the cafeteria food."

...**At The Silver Dragon**...

"...Yeah, mom, I'm sorry okay! I know I should have called, but..." Cornelia walked out of the room, throwing Will an angry look.

"Oooh you gonna _get iit_!" Irma seemed to revel in the fact that someone other than herself was in Cornelia's bad books.

"Hey! Look what our initials spell!" Hay Lin interrupted the retort Will was yet to make. She held up her palm, written on which was the word 'WITCH'. The girls smiled at the coinsidence.

Cornelia walked in, just as Irma said, "The main thing is, we are all back together! And the bad guys never got Will, either!"

Yan Lin, who had been in the corner of the room spoke up, "Phobos didn't want Will." From the corner of her eye, Yan Lin saw Caleb glance back, before turning once more to the rain-quilted window. "Only her power. I fear he wants another, who's battle is yet to begin."

* * *

><p><strong>LOOK OUT FOR THE NEXT PART IN "MY WITCH 04 THE KEY"<strong>


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